Someone made their own Steam Machine using a Steam Deck motherboard
The Steam Machine was announced back in November last year, and while Valve has shared its specifications, the company has yet to reveal the price and release date. It is expected to ship in Q1 this year, but we’re still waiting for an exact date. In the meantime, users have been busy creating their own projects (we’ve already seen multiple Companion Cube designs), and someone just transformed their Steam Deck into a Steam Machine.
The Steam Machine is one of the best handhelds in the market, and there are plenty of ways to customize it. This includes replacing its outer shell, upgrading the SSD, and more. One user has decided to be extra creative by making their own version of the Steam Machine using parts from the handheld.
Steam Deck motherboard repurposed for DIY Steam Machine
The project comes from Reddit user TGPaterson, who claims they used the motherboard from their Steam Deck in their custom Steam Machine. They initially designed it around a Steam Deck dock, but they instead opted for a Sabrent USB-C hub as they were unable to get an HDMI connection over battery power. As for the shell, the user used 3D-printed sheets, and they also placed a 120mm Noctua fan on the top to improve cooling.
The user tested their Steam Machine by playing some AAA games at 1080p. When compared to the Steam Deck OLED, playing the games at the same settings and resolution, the frame rates were the same, so there wasn’t a difference in performance. However, thanks to the Noctua fan, they were getting 3-6°C lower temps, but nothing major. It should be noted, however, that Valve says the Steam Machine has “over six times the horsepower of Steam Deck,” so this Redditor’s custom rig doesn’t come close to the same level of performance.
Is Your PC Slowing Down?
Programs taking longer to open? Crashes or freezes happening more often? Your PC may need a cleanup and repair.
Fix it safely & boost performance in just a few clicks!
Trusted by thousands of users worldwide
If anyone is interested in creating something similar, the modder has also shared a detailed video on YouTube in which they explain the process from start to finish. However, the user only recommends doing this if you have a “cheap broken Steam Deck” or a spare motherboard.
